The Business Case for Breastfeeding is a national initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the HHS Office on Women’s Health. Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition is a partner in this national initiative

Women with infants and children below age three are the fastest growing segment of today’s labor force. At least 58% of women who are employed when they become pregnant return to the labor force by the time their child is three months old.

Women who wish to continue nursing after returning to work need the support of their employer. Their needs are simple: availability of dependable efficient breast pumps; a convenient, safe, private and comfortable location at the worksite; and the opportunity to pump two or three times during the work day.

Employer support of breastfeeding can provide many benefits to businesses
such as:

Cost savings of $3 per $1 invested in nursing employee support

Less illness among the breastfed children of employees

Reduced absenteeism to care for ill children

Lower health care costs

Improved employee productivity

Higher morale and greater employee loyalty

Improved ability to attract and retain valuable employees

Family-friendly image in the community

Developing a breastfeeding support program including company policies that support nursing, flexible scheduling options, and sufficient break times to nurse or express milk on the job in a safe, clean environment will allow both employers and employees to benefit from this collaboration.

No Matter What the Job, There is a Space!

Worksite or Job

Suggested Pumping Locations

Retail sales, mall store, fast food

Small storage closets or utility closets with a light, manager’s offices, storage areas, shared space used by various tenant businesses in a mall, changing rooms

Airport

Airline lounge, little used offices and storage areas, sectioned off corner of a room with either permanent walls or portable partitions

Restaurant

Manager’s office, some mothers work a split shift to avoid having to pump and return home to breastfeed the baby directly during slow work times

Transportation workers

May find pumping areas in stations along their route or in municipal buildings along their route

Law enforcement officers

Municipal buildings may provide spaces for pumping

Emergency medical technicians

May find pumping accommodations in local hospitals or the back of an unused ambulance

Military

Partitioned off sections of locker rooms, pilots and flight crew may pump in on-board crew quarters